Jake Gyllenhaal talks 'worst' Frodo audition

Can you imagine Jake Gyllenhaal as Frodo in 'Lord of the Rings'?

No? Well, neither could Peter Jackson.

The 'Day After Tomorrow' star has bravely admitted that he bombed terribly in his audition in front of the New Zealander.

[Hobbit pics: Benedict Cumberbatch motion-captures Smaug]

Speaking as part of an actor's round-table interview for the Hollywood Reporter, he explains just what went wrong.

“I remember auditioning for 'The Lord of the Rings' and going in and not being told that I needed a British accent,” he said.

“I really do remember Peter Jackson saying to me, 'You know that you have to do this in a British accent?'”

“We heard back it was literally one of the worst auditions.”

[The Simpsons reveal Hobbit couch gag]

Indeed, the cast of Jackson's epic trilogy could have been very different to the one that eventually scrambled up Mount Doom.

Dominic Monaghan, who played Merry, originally went for the role of Frodo.

Elsewhere, Russell Crowe, Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicolas Cage are said to have turned down the role of Aragorn, which eventually went to Viggo Mortensen.

Sean Connery was approached for Gandalf, as was Sam Neill and Sir Ian McKellen's best chum Sir Patrick Stewart.

But best of all, perhaps, is that David Bowie expressed an interest in playing Elrond, eventually played by Hugo Weaving.

Jackson said afterwards: “To have a famous, beloved character and a famous star colliding is slightly uncomfortable.”

Talking of uncomfortable, check out Orlando Bloom performing the 'Lord of the Rings' viral song on the set of The Hobbit...